The Shifters
by RozWolf
Summary: Kai was a normal kid with a dream to conquer the Pokemon league before his bloodline revealed itself to him. Keeping his powers under wraps is no longer on the cards, but aided by his new friends and family, he will follow his dream.
1. Chapter 1

Shifters: Chapter One; Enter Kai!

As far as appearances go, nothing seemed special about Kai Lane. Standing at 6"1' with brown hair, blue eyes and a slight cold, he was just another face in the crowd that cold, winters morning, standing outside Professor Rowan's Lab. Today was the big day, the day that they would finally begin their pokémon journey.

This day had been a long wait for the entire year group, and as the date approached, it had consumed the minds of every sixteen year old in the region of Sinnoh. At least, almost every sixteen year old.

Kai stood in the line with his friends, seemingly mirroring the excitement of everyone in the room- and it was true, he had been looking forward to this day, though not with the same fervour as his classmates. Even as he took pleasure in the knowledge that by the end of the day he would have a partner that would join him on the most important journey of his life, he had to sigh, thinking about all the difficulties that would arise with his having a pokémon.

Since his fourteenth birthday, Kai had known he was different. Different to his parents, different to his classmates, different to everyone else he had ever known in his life.

Absent-mindedly, Kai scratched at the small mark on his neck that set him apart. This mark had separated him from the rest of the world, from his peers and family and changed his life, for the better or for the worse.

In days past they had called them Shifters, or any number of derogatory terms, and had hunted down and killed them by the dozens, reducing the population of Shifters down almost to extinction. In more modern and accepting times, the few Shifters that cropped up from time to time in families where the blood ran strong, usually led normal, peaceful lives, albeit lives occasionally interrupted by the less accepting of the population and their hatred for all things out of the ordinary.

The recessive nature of the 'Shifter Gene' meant that, in many cases Shifters are born to normal, human adults and lead their lives unknowingly, without the knowledge that, at some stage in their life, the mark would show itself and the Shifter would receive their heritage- the ability to change form, to become a pokémon.

Kai had been fortunate in the timing of his mark, his parents had been out of town on a second honeymoon when his mark had appeared. The first change had been both physical and mental agony, his body on fire as waves of pain washed over him and he passed out. Upon awakening, the shock of finding himself in the body of a pokémon, a Ninetails, had been so great that he had very nearly fainted again.

Over the next two years, Kai had hidden his ability from the world, both for his parents' sakes and his own; he had not been ready to announce himself as a Shifter. Today though, he stood in line to receive his first pokémon, begin his new life as a trainer, and show the world what he truly was.

"Kai, it's your turn now" Professor Rowan said, as the last trainer to be called forward walked off, a grin on his face and a pokeball in his hand. "I'm sure we have just the pokemon for you".


	2. Chapter 2

Shifters: Chapter 2; A Fine Choice

"Right this way Kai", said Professor Rowan, as the two of them made their way into the lab towards the room in the back where the pokémon were kept in their balls awaiting their new trainers.

"We have quite a selection this year" explained professor Rowan. "Usually trainers choose from three 'starter' pokémon to begin their journey with, but this year there was a larger number of young trainers than usual, and so we have expanded the selection to include several new fire, grass and water types"

The pair walked into the back room, and Kai, forgetting his own problems for a moment, gave an involuntary gasp. The room was filled to the brim with pokéballs, shelf upon shelf stacked to the ceiling, shelving colour-coded for each of the three types of pokémon in the room.

Kai made his own way through the shelves to the fire type section, disbelieving, as he read through the names and descriptions of the many pokémon available, even as he knew which one he would pick.

And there it was, a gleaming red pokéball precisely at head height, containing the pokémon that would become his partner on his adventures. He picked up the info sheet that sat in front of the pokéball and skimmed through it, wanting to find out as much as possible about his new friend as he could.

Species: Vulpix

Gender: Female

Nature: Hardy

Additional Notes: Subject exhibits unusual colouration- further investigation advised

"I'll take the Vulpix" said Kai as he walked back to Professor Rowan and showed him his selection. "A very good choice" said Professor Rowan, beaming with pleasure as another of his young pupils took on the challenge of becoming a pokémon trainer. "There is of course paperwork for you to fill out, and an application to be placed for the pokémon league, should you choose, but nothing pressing. For now, I would advise you to head home and get to know your new Vulpix".

The ride home was a long one, Kai's parents lived a fair way out of town, in the woods to the west of Twinleaf, just to the south of Lake Verity. It was the remote location of the house that had allowed Kai to remain hidden for so long, when the urge to change became too great, he could duck out the back door directly into the thick woods and run as a pokémon. The longer the urge was left untended, the greater the danger that he may turn without meaning to, probably in front of everyone he knew, became, and as such Kai made an effort to change at least once every couple of days, to take the edge off.

As he cycled the last leg of his journey home, Kai's thoughts turned to the Vulpix inside the ball on his belt, and couldn't help but think if they'd get along well. She was 'Hardy', according to the info sheet in the lab, and he couldn't help but think of how that could be a good or a not-so-good thing. He also thought about what would happen when he told her about what he was, though he wouldn't really know until he did tell her. He had kept this secret for so long that it genuinely scared him to think about telling anybody, even his pokémon.

Eventually, he reached the small timber cottage that had been his home since before he could remember, and dumping his bike on the veranda, headed straight out into the garden to get to know his new pokémon.

Standing out on the grass behind the house, Kai took a deep breath and raised the pokéball. "Come on out Vulpix!"


	3. Chapter 3

Shifters: Chapter 3; Changes

The red light of the pokéball lit up the small patch of grass where Kai was standing. Since he could remember, his entire life had led up to this moment, and he watched, transfixed as the light began to take the form of his new pokémon. The light faded, and sitting in front of him was the most visually startling vulpix he had ever seen.

This vulpix had a stunning silver-grey coat, with black 'socks', but the most noticeable difference were in the tail and the curly tufts of fur on its head, which were a brilliant gold. The overall effect was magnificent, and Kai gave a gasp at the sight.

The vulpix looked around quickly, obviously surprised at her surroundings, before turning back to him and regarding him with Amber eyes before muttering quietly in pokéspeak "Oh crap".

Kai, confronted by the expletive, winced and shook his head in dismay. This was obviously not going to go well if he didn't act quickly. "Please don't be like that" he said in pokéspeak (One of the perks of being a shifter was that he could understand and communicate with pokémon in their own language) "I'm sure we'll get along, after all" he said, as the Vulpix's eyes widened as she heard him speaking her own tongue "we have more in common than you might think".

Vulpix was speechless. All of her life she had been treated like dirt by humans, experimented on because of her colour and bullied and teased, even by her fellow pokémon, and now this young human was behaving completely differently. Plus, he could apparently understand her! The obvious question sprang to mind.

"How can you possibly understand what I say?" she asked him, curiosity overcoming her usually reclusive nature.

Kai sighed and sat down on the grass facing her as he struggled to come to terms with sharing his secret for the first time. He took a deep breath and began;

"I've never told anyone about this, but because we're obviously going to be travelling with each other you have to know now before it becomes a problem. You see, I am... different to other people. I have an ability that they do not, besides being able to understand pokémon". "It would probably be easier to just show you".

Kai stood up, and took a step backwards, closing his eyes. Vulpix began feeling more than a little disturbed at her new trainers actions, but gasped when she noticed the first changes.

The change was no longer painful for Kai, more of an unpleasant sensation that ran all the way down his body in waves, growing in frequency and strength. The changes began slowly, his teeth grew longer and sharper and his hair began to turn creamy white, but soon pale fur began to grow from his entire body, his jaw elongated into a muzzle and his hands and feet began the transformation into paws. His hair grew longer until it reached down his shoulders, turning into a mane of fur, and he fell on all fours as the transformation neared completion.

The last thing to change was always the eyes, taking on the bright fiery red of a Ninetales and the transformation was complete. Kai stretched his legs quickly and looked over to the Vulpix, who was looking at him with utter shock on her face.

"You see?" Kai said, a grin showing across his muzzle as he noticed her reaction to his change. "We aren't so different after all".


	4. Chapter 4

Shifters: Chapter Four; Hope

A myriad of thoughts ran through Kai's head as he watched the vulpix in front of him struggle to come to terms with his sudden transformation. This had been the first time he had revealed his ability to anyone, and he didn't quite know what to make of her reaction. Sighing, Kai sat his haunches down on the grass and waited.

"You're a Shifter" the Vulpix finally managed to say. "I've heard stories about them; I thought they were all gone".

Kai laughed with more than a little relief, she didn't seem at all hostile to the idea, simply curious. "Not quite" he said, "There are a few of us left, though I don't actually know any others personally. Most tend to go into hiding, living ordinary lives alongside humans".

"And what about you?" she asked, her head cocked to one side as she considered his last statement "will you lead an ordinary life without telling anyone about being a Shifter?"

Kai looked down at his front paws at that point. "I'm not really sure" he said eventually "Lately I've felt like I need to tell people about my Shifting, but I'm just not sure how to go about it", he looked up at her as he said; "you are the first person I've ever told".

"So what about me?" the Vulpix asked. "Where do I come into this?" Kai smiled, "Just because I'm a Shifter that doesn't mean I don't share the same dream as any other teenager" he said with a canine grin "I dream of becoming the first ever Shifter to beat the Elite Four and attain the title of Pokémon Master!" His ears drooped a bit at the end though "although that would mean telling everyone that I can turn into a pokémon."

"So you want to take on the Gyms" the Vulpix asked. "Absolutely, with your help" Kai replied "which reminds me, I can't just keep thinking about you as Vulpix. You need a proper name if we're going to travel together."

"My mother named me" the Vulpix replied "before I was captured by humans because of my colour. My name is Hope."

"And my name is Kai" Kai replied "Pleased to meet you Hope." Hope gave a little smile, the introductions finished before adding "before we leave, there is one condition to my travelling with you."

"And what would that be?" Kai asked, regarding Hope as she looked almost pleadingly at him. "When we reach Veilstone City I would like to see my mother" she said "it would mean a lot to me".

"Of course" Kai said softly, "we'll stop by and you can see your mother for as long as you want, and if you feel like staying then I won't force you to come with me."

Hope looked up at Kai, leaning against his foreleg "thank you for that" she said "but I'm approaching the age that I should make my own way in the world without my mother anyway, I just want to see her, to let her know I'm alright." Hope gave her little smile again as she added "I'll see this adventure of yours to the end."

Kai and Hope sat there for a while more before Kai got to his feet. "My parents will be home soon" he said. "They're biologists working at the Verity Research Centre just north of here and their workdays end about now" he stood and changed back to human form. "Are you hungry Hope? There should be enough time for us to eat before they get home. We have all sorts of berries so you can have whatever you want."

Hope looked up at him with wide eyes "do you have any Mago berries" she asked "I haven't had one for months and they're my favourite." Kai's grin gave it away and she let out a little squeal of delight, dashing into the house. Kai smiled and followed her at a slower pace, as he walked into the kitchen, he laughed to see the little vulpix buried in a pink and white berry almost the size of her own head. His laughs startled her and her head popped out, her nose liberally coloured in berry juice, making him laugh all the harder.

As Hope finished her berry in dignified silence, Kai heard his parent's voices coming from the forest to the north. They were almost a kilometre away as yet, and he thanked his enhanced hearing as he cleaned up the kitchen before turning to Hope. "My parents will be here in a couple of minutes" he said "Is it alright if I put you in your ball for a while until i tell them about you?"

"That's fine" Hope said "but when we're on the road I really would prefer to travel outside my ball". Kai smiled "Ok" he said "I was kinda hoping you'd say that so I'd have someone to talk to" with that he recalled her, clipped the pokéball to his new trainer belt and sat down on the couch waiting for his parents to get home.


	5. Chapter 5

Shifters: Chapter 5; Meet The Parents

Kai's Parents weren't the most ordinary of couples. His father wore a long white coat, reminiscent of every scientist who ever lived, his trousers were hitched up above his waist and his circular glasses, balding head and the Aipom that never left his shoulder completed the picture. He was the most brilliant biologist in the region and had been offered a position as the head of Verity Research Centre, though he had turned it down, he preferred a hands on approach to research.

Kai's mother on the other hand worked as a field agent for the Verity Lakefront Containment Centre in the same building as the Research Centre, and what a job that was. She was responsible for containing any rampaging or otherwise dangerous pokémon from causing damage to cities and towns in the south-western corner of Sinnoh, up to Floaroma Town in the north and Oreburgh City in the east, and her appearance matched her job description. She had long black hair with blond streaks, tight fitting titanium reinforced leather armour complete with trench coat, and a team to match. Her Charizard could take her anywhere within her jurisdiction in minutes and the rest of her team, consisting of a Rhyperior, Mightyena, Feraligator and Machamp could eliminate pretty much any threat in existence. She was a legend in the region, renowned as a top-quality trainer, and it was from her that many of Kai's own attributes drew.

So the pair made an unlikely couple, all things considered, though their relationship was strong, and sound. As the two came through the front door, Kai sat up off the couch and greeted them. His mother's eyes were instantly drawn to the belt and pokéball at his waist and she smiled as she hung up her coat. "So it was today" she said, walking over and giving him a brief hug "you're first pokémon! Dare I ask what it is? I'm guessing Chimchar; you've always been more of a fire type." Kai smiled, thinking about how apt a description that was and shook his head smiling.

His father joined in "Well then, how about Turtwig? I must admit I also thought you'd go for Chimchar but Turtwig is also a good pokémon" Kai shook his head again, grinning now. "Well then it must be a Piplup" said his mother triumphantly "why don't you show us?"

"Wrong again" said Kai. "Hope, come on out and meet my parents!" He tossed her ball in the air and in a flash of red light Hope appeared in all her silver glory, tossing back her golden mane and fanning out her tails in a remarkable entrance. For the first time since Kai could remember, his parents were stunned.

"Show off", he muttered as Hope pranced back and forth proudly, showing off her unusual colouration to his astonished parents.

Kai's mother was the first to break out of her daze. "Kai, this vulpix... wow" she said softly as she knelt down and run her hand gently through Hope's silver fur "You said her name is Hope?"

"Yeah, Professor Rowan had a heap of different pokémon for us to choose from but Vulpix and Ninetales are my absolute favourites, so I couldn't go past Hope here."

"And why would you want to?" asked his father "She's a looks like a great pokémon Kai, you look after her." Both Kai and Hope blushed at this.

"Of course Dad" said Kai "After all, we're partners aren't we?" He reached down and scratched behind Hope's ears, causing her purr loudly, almost like a cat. Both of his parents beamed at the sight, his father snapping a covert picture of the pair, without either noticing.

Hope stopped her purring after a while and turned her head to look Kai straight in the eye "You should tell them now, before we leave. You need to tell them what you are."

Kai straightened, nodding slightly in response. Turning around to his grinning parents he opened his mouth to utter the words he'd been putting off for two years.

"Mom, Dad, I need to tell you something".


	6. Chapter 6

Shifters: Chapter 6; Revelations

Kai's heart raced and his stomach felt like jelly as his parents looked at him questioningly, concern written on their faces as they noticed the state he was in. Hope leaned in to his leg and looked up at his face, calming him a little as he collected himself.

"Mom, Dad... I've been putting this off for a long time, but I think you need to know now, before I leave to take on the gyms". His father started to speak but Kai cut him off. "Just watch".

This time, Kai sped up his transformation, something that had taken months of practise. The exact sequence of transformation always changed, except for the eyes, which were always last. This time, the first change was the most dramatic, as his tails burst out in an explosion of fur behind him, causing both his mother and father to take a step back in alarm, looks of complete shock on their faces.

The rest of the transformation was over in seconds and standing in the middle of the small kitchen was a majestic creamy white Ninetales, a small silver and gold coloured Vulpix and two gobsmacked parents.

Kai looked up into his father's and then his mother's eyes "It's me" he said and they jumped to hear his voice coming from the Ninetales in front of him "I'm a Shifter".

The air seemed to freeze completely throughout the house, seconds turned to hours as Kai sat there, tails whirling behind him in agitation before his mother moved swiftly towards him. Kai flinched at first, but then his mother was pulling him into a deep embrace and it was all right.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner" she said softly as she hugged him in close "you know we'll always love you no matter what happens to you". His father joined in the hug and the three of them sat for a while, in the middle of the old log cabin.

Kai's mind was numb. His secret was now known by his parents and they had accepted it! This was a culmination of all the fantasies he'd had about telling his parents for the last two years and he couldn't be happier. He was surprised to find himself purring in pleasure, and so were his parents, who burst into laughter.

Hope looked over at him with a huge grin on her face. "Told you so" she said, padding over and sitting next to him, leaning against his leg.

Of course, Kai's parents had many questions for him about Shifting, mostly questions like did he feel any pain (Only the first time) or could he use attacks like a normal pokémon (Yes, but only those a normal Ninetales could learn), but the questions quickly became deeper like could he converse with pokémon, and if so, what did their pokémon have to say about them (A lengthy process which mostly consisted of his father's Aipom yelling maniacally how all-round great a guy he was). Once question time was over though, Kai lay in front of the fire as a Ninetales with Hope stretched out next to him as he lay gazing into the flames until long after his parents had gone to bed, thinking about the next day and what it would bring.

Kai's official pokémon adventure would begin in les than twenty four hours, and he couldn't help but think about the affect his Shifting would have on his dream to become the Sinnoh Champion. He wouldn't hide, he decided, and he wouldn't shut himself off socially either. Kai wasn't the most social of teenagers, but he did have friends in the form of two of his classmates, Jacob and Emily, who were also leaving tomorrow and had asked him to join them. As he nodded off in front of the fire, his thoughts turned to what their reactions might be to his secret ability.

Jacob was on track to becoming a great pokémon breeder, while Emily was the daughter of the local Officer Jenny, and was committed to her chosen career as an Officer. She was also a vocal member of the Sandgem Lesbian Rights Association, which detracted from the sexual tension that would usually cripple a party of two teenage guys and a girl.

Emily, he thought, would take it well. She had borne the brunt of many crude and hateful remarks for her sexuality; she would understand why he had kept his secret. Jacob would probably just find it fascinating, he thought as he slipped further towards sleep, the boy was obsessed with pokémon of all kinds, particularly fire types, and wanted to open his own fire ranch in the future.

Hope gave a little growl in her sleep and turned over, burying her head in his mane and for the first time in a long time all was well in Kai's mind.


	7. Chapter 7

**Shifters: Chapter 7; Fighting Fire With Fire**

It was the smell of smoke that woke Kai. He had slept that whole night through as a pokémon, and so as he woke it was his heightened sense of smell as a Ninetales that warned him of the presence of fire. After a quick glance to make sure that neither he nor Hope had incidentally set fire to something in the house his greatest fear was soothed somewhat, the fire was not in the house. Neither, he could tell, was the fire in close proximity to the house or the woods around it. The scent was being blown in by a warm morning breeze from the east. Directly from Sandgem.

He leapt up with a bound, startling Hope, who gave a quick growl of annoyance before catching a whiff of the smoke that now blew strongly on the breeze through the open window. Kai rushed upstairs as fast as his four legs could take him, to wake his parents.

Language barriers between humans and pokémon are an obstacle that has stumped the greatest scientists of the pokémon world, but despite this, most Shifters have the ability to speak both English and Pokéspeak in any form and fortunately, Kai was among that majority. Sprinting down the corridor as fast as he could he skidded to a halt outside his parent's room yelling at the top of his lungs. "Mom, Dad, there's a fire, a fire in Sandgem!" A flurry of activity ensued within the room and within moments his parents were fully dressed and at the door.

Kai's mother was the first out the door, pulling a pokéball from her waist as she sprinted down the stairs with his father close behind her.

Kai leapt down the stairs joining Hope, the two sprinting out of the door after his parents. His mother and father were in the process of climbing onto his mother's Charizard as Kai and Hope ran to join them. His mother glared down at them as her Charizard prepped for flight "You two are staying here!" she shouted as the Charizard gave a loud roar and leapt into the sky.

Kai and Hope looked at each other before simultaneously rolling their eyes and breaking into a run, the trees whipping past them as the two fire types gathered speed. Kai was livid, knowing at the same time that his mother was only trying to protect him, but honestly what harm could possibly befall them? They were both fire types, they could help out and they weren't about to get burnt now were they?

The pair was moving so quickly now that it took all of Kai's concentration to dodge trees and rocks that seemed to materialise out of thin air in front of his nose, but they were making good time. After another couple of minutes of solid running they finally came to a stop on top of a hill overlooking Sandgem town and it was there that they finally saw the devastation.

The lab was beyond saving, Kai knew as soon as he looked that the flames were too high, too hot for the building to survive. The fire had spread too, all the way across town spot flares were ignited by embers from the main fire and were in the process of consuming several houses. The whole town was ablaze and the attempts to put out the many fires were ultimately failing. They had to help.

Kai and Hope bounded down the slope to the nearest house, a small log cabin with smoke billowing out of the windows. Hearing screaming and noise from inside, Kai used a quick attack to bash down the door and leapt inside. The noises were coming from the second floor and Kai wasted no time in leaping across the room and up the stairs, flames licking at his heels as he ran, the heat was almost too much even for him as he reached the top of the stairs and ran down the corridor towards the screaming.

Kai burst into what looked like a bedroom, one side of the room engulfed in flame the other occupied by two people, a woman and a child, both screaming loudly as flames licked at the ground near their feet. The woman looked up as he rushed in, her face was red raw from the flames as she shielded the small boy from the worst of the heat.

Kai roared "Grab hold of me!" and the woman, after a moments hesitation seized his mane with one hand and the toddler with the other. Thinking quickly, Kai used _Safeguard_, a move that he knew would protect both the woman and the toddler from suffering burns. The blue waves of energy given off by the move enfolded the two humans and the three slowly made their way down the stairs, Kai practically dragging them both behind him, they simply had no energy left.

Meanwhile, a large crowd had gathered outside the house, the last on the street that was burning, drawn there by the shouting of a young man outside, whose wife and son were trapped in the building. The flames were too great for anyone to enter, and so they had all but given up hope when a figure appeared through the smoke.

Kai was bathed in the blue light of the _Safeguard_ when he walked through the front door to the outside of the house, dragging the now limp forms of both mother and son. Flames roared around him, but he walked unmarked out through the front door to stunned faces. The _Safeguard_ finally faded as helping hands surged forward to carry the two humans to a waiting ambulance while the young man pushed his way through the crowd to see his family. After being assured of their safety, he stepped away for a moment and walked over to Kai, who sat in the middle of a ring of incredulous onlookers, the whole town it seemed, had turned out, the other fires had finally burnt out or been extinguished. The young man bent down, as tears fell from his face and gripped Kai's neck as his sobbing intensified "you have saved the two people who matter most to me in the world" he said after letting go and looking Kai straight in the eyes. "Thank you".

Kai gave a canine grin as the whole town burst into cheers of approval. The entirety of the town was here and had seen him save two people. Now was the time, he thought as he stood and the crowd started to quieten down, watching him. Now was his moment. He threw back his head and Shifted.


	8. Chapter 8

**Shifters: Chapter 8; Friends in High Places**

The next few days of his life were at the same time the best and worst of his life Kai thought, stretched out on the couch in front of the fire with Hope snuggled up against him. He had been spending more and more time in Ninetales form since the whole town had seen him Shift, and while it was a different experience, it was one he enjoyed.

How many people had seen him Shift that day he had no idea, but that mattered very little due to the presence of a television crew that had arrived to cover the fire in Sandgem moments before he had emerged from the burning building.. The cameraman had been drawn to the crowd gathered outside the house and captured the moment that Kai had stepped out from the flames dragging the two burn victims, bathed in blue light which radiated outwards through the crowd. That video clip, as well as the one of him Shifting back into human form, had been played over and over on news stations around Sinnoh, making him a celebrity overnight.

Fame has many downsides however, and whilst the majority of people who watched the news broadcasts were understanding and open-minded, Kai had received an awful lot of hate from several less free-thinking members of society. Talk-back radio had latched onto the subject of Shifters and Kai was unsure of how much more he could take.

A knock at the door brought Kai out of his reverie; his mother's voice could be heard as she answered cautiously. Most knocks on the door recently were either press wanting comments for a news story, or the occasional bigot, but this was different. His mother's voice was warm as she answered and Kai's ears pricked up as he recognised the voice of the visitor.

Rising from the couch, Kai padded over to the lounge, where his mother was greeting a young man who Kai recognised as the husband and father of the two people he had pulled from the flames several days ago. The man gave a small smile when he saw Kai in pokémon form, an expression that soon changed to a look of wonder as Kai began to Shift to human form for a proper greeting.

The time it takes to Shift depends largely on experience, and with each successive Shift, Kai's prowess had increased to the point that his Shift was fluid, over in seconds; he stood and shook the young man's hand.

Clothing was one aspect of Shifting that had always puzzled Kai, he didn't know how it worked, but he could Shift in and out of human form, retaining his clothes. Just another peculiarity of his species, he supposed.

When the young man introduced himself Kai was brought out of his daydreams with an abruptness that left him gaping, mouth wide open as he stared at the young man that stood before him, reeling as he realised who he was talking to.

Keith Laurence was a star trainer from the moment he set off on his adventure, he hadn't lost a match in his career, and held the current record for the fastest dispatch of any Gym leader (his match against Roark had lasted just over a minute, including the time it took for the Gym leader to call out and withdraw his pokémon. He specialised in all grass-type pokémon, his team was legendary across all regions. He was also the Sinnoh Champion.

Keith laughed at the gormless expression on Kai's face. "I came here today to express my gratitude yet again for saving my family" he said, placing a small backpack on the ground and rooting around in it for a few seconds before taking out a small package and handing it to Kai, who blinked at the gesture before accepting the gift. Keith smiled as he handed the package over "A small token of my appreciation".

Kai's attention turned to the box, which he set on the living room table before opening. The contents were unexpected; to say the least- six pokéballs nestled in a protective sea of foam. The six balls were different to ordinary balls in that they were a pure unaltered white, without design or emblem. Kai looked at Keith, eyebrows raised in confusion.

Keith's grin grew larger as he walked over to stand by Kai. "These pokéballs are something else" he said, taking one out of the box and handing it to Kai. "A friend of mine is the designer and explained them to me like this; 'The spirit ball is imprinted with the resident pokémon's very being and alters appearance accordingly. No two spirit balls are the same, just as no two pokémon are the same'. I think you should just try it for yourself".

While Keith had been talking, Hope had entered the room and sat down next to Kai, following the conversation with interest. She looked up at him with enthusiasm, "I wanna try it" she said, bouncing around him excitedly "I wanna see what mine looks like!" Kai picked up the ball and somewhat hesitantly placed it against Hope's forehead. Blue light captured her, signifying a change of pokéball, engulfing her as she was drawn into the white ball, which began to glow. A bright flash momentarily filled the room, dazzling its occupants.

The pokéball pulsed with new vibrancy before fading away slightly until Kai, Keith and Kai's mother could see more clearly the pokéball that rested in Kai's hand. The ball had completely changed, now golden flames leapt at a silver chrome background, the overall result was beautiful, and Kai gasped, looking sharply over at Keith, whose grin had, if possible become even wider. "How much did these cost?" he asked, not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer. "Not a dime" replied Keith, satisfied with the reception of his gift "I just called in a favour with an old friend. He doesn't make these for money, and I doubt they ever will reach the market".

He exclaimed loudly before turning around and searching his backpack yet again "There was something else I wanted to give to you" he said, waving aside Kai's objections as he retrieved several sheets of paper from his pack and handing them to Kai. "I heard about the problems that the league registration committee was giving you because of you being a Shifter. Let's just say I smoothed over a few issues" he turned to leave, nodding to both Kai and his mother as he stepped out the door with one last remark "I hope to battle you soon at the league. I won't go easy on you, so train hard and come prepared and with a team that trusts and cares for you".

And with that he exited the house, pulling a pokéball out of his pocket and summoning a huge Tropius. Leaping onto it's back, he barked an order, and the grass pokémon threw itself into the air, disappearing out of sight in seconds. Kai's gaze returned to the paperwork he now held in his hand.

For the last few days, Kai had applied and reapplied for registration into the pokémon league, but despite all of his efforts, bureaucracy had won out, someone along the chain of command had obviously taken offense at him being a Shifter and seen fit to shoot down his league hopes. The document in his hands changed that, it was a receipt for his registration- he was officially enrolled in the league challenge. He walked upstairs and into his room, glancing at nags still packed, ready for their departure.

They would leave tomorrow. His friends had opted to remain in Sandgem for a time and assist with rebuilding efforts, but he would still be travelling alongside Hope, and that, he supposed, was the main thing, the only thing that really mattered. He made his way back downstairs to tell his parents about his decision to leave the next morning, releasing Hope on the way.

Fate was an uncanny thing, he reflected, taking the stairs two at a time. Sometimes it pays just to go with the flow.


	9. Chapter 9

Shifters: Chapter 9; A New Rivalry

The sun was shining bright, and the trees swayed gently in the morning breeze as Kai and Hope strolled down route 202 on their way to Jubilife City. Their departure had been quiet, they had left early enough that no-one but Kai's parents had seen them go, passing through Sandgem as the first rays of sunshine had begun to peek through the trees on the horizon.

Now, at last, they were on the road- embarking on their very own adventure, and boy did it feel good, Kai reflected, to finally feel like they were making progress. It was just him, Hope and the long open road before them. His peaceful thoughts were shattered though, by a commotion up ahead. He could hear voices, yelling and the sounds of a battle. Shrugging at Hope, the pair of them ran forward to see what was happening.

They arrived just in time to see the final blow of the battle. A Sneasel, urged on by it's trainer, jumped forward and delivered a terrible Slash attack, throwing its opponent, a small Whooper, covered in pre-existing bruises, to the ground. Blood sprayed from the now limp form, and the Whooper's trainer, little more than a boy, cried out and took several steps forward, toward the injured pokémon, before being stopped by the other trainer.

The Sneasel's trainer strode forward, a sneer on his face as he looked down at the tiny Whooper, now crying out faintly, as it struggled on the ground. His foot moved back to deliver a brutal kick, and swung forward- before the callous man was sent flying as Kai leapt into the fight. The young man sprawled across the ground several metres away, already rising, a split lip and a look of insane fury on his face as Kai, now in Ninetales form, growled another warning.

"If you so much as touch that pokémon again" Kai's voice spat venom at the man- who now looked in shock at the Ninetales that had attacked him, and now spoke to him- backed up a few paces at the ferocious expression on Kai's face; red eyes flaring, his muzzle twisted into a snarl as he advanced on the man "I will rip you limb from limb".

The man's Sneasel stepped in front of it's master, claws slicing through the air as it growled back at Kai. "You don't know who you're dealing with" it said, eyes rolling madly in their sockets as it started forward, clicking it's razor teeth together as a sign of its bloodlust. "You and your little friend over there" it said, gesturing over to Hope, who stood, growling in open opposition next to Kai "will be dead before this day is out." Its eyes grew wider as it looked over at Hope, whose growls grew louder as it added "I'm sure I could find some other use for her".

The trainer had stepped forward, having regained some confidence after his pokémon's composure, but was sent flying again as Kai gave out a roar that sent every bird within a mile's radius into the air. This roar was a physical force, and it pushed the Sneasel back several metres, flooring the dark pokémon as effectively as any physical blow. Kai sprung forward, flames erupting from his jaws as the Sneasel screeched in terror, engulfed in flames as it flailed about, moaning piteously as Kai finally stopped his attack. The dark-type slumped to the ground, fresh blisters appearing all over its body as it fell into blissful unconsciousness. The brutish trainer was rising as Kai and Hope advanced on him, both growling their threats as he backed up against a tree, his face skewed in terror.

Kai walked forwards slowly, until he was standing directly in front of the man who, judging from the smell, had just defecated all over himself. Stopping for a moment, he glared into the man's eyes, his rage clear, before Shifting back to human form.

If the man had been terrified before now his eyes displayed only anger, rage boiled beneath the surface as he watched Kai's transformation. When Kai had finally resumed human form he reached forward and grabbed the man's jacket, making sure to keep him at arms length to avoid what was now causing the air around them to reek. Speaking slowly, in barely contained fury, he asked; "What's your name" his voice came out as a growl, so he repeated the question. The young man looked at him now, in what looked like disgust, an interesting reaction from one who had effectively just crapped his pants more than 5 hours walk from civilisation, Kai thought to himself.

The man wasn't saying anything, so Kai steeled himself, reaching into the man's jacket pocket, hoping fervently that his trainer card wasn't in his jeans pocket. Fortunately, it was in the jacket, and Kai soon had a name; Vernon Mills. The red-headed teenager was originally from Snowpoint City, and had evidently decided that a change of climate and weaker trainers to prey on would suit him better than his home-town.

A flurry of movement caught his eye as he looked up from the card to see Vernon leaping onto a collapsible bike he had apparently managed to fit into the small backpack that was the only thing the man was carrying. The red-headed young man gave a final sneer that was the last they saw of him, pulling out a pokéball and retrieving his fallen Sneasel as he rode away as fast as his legs would take him.

Kai sighed, it didn't matter, he was sure they would be seeing more of the man in the future, but for now, there was an injured pokémon that required immediate medical attention. He turned around and walked over to where the young boy was trying, without success, to feed the badly injured Whooper a potion. When he saw Kai approaching, the young boy flinched, but allowed him to check over the small water pokémon. After making sure that it was in no immediate risk of dying, Kai rooted around in his bag, retrieving a Revive, one of many he kept for emergencies.

Crushing the small golden crystal and mixing it with some water, Kai poured a trickle of the resulting liquid down the Whooper's throat and stood back as the Revive began to take effect, the Whooper's wounds slowly closing, its eyes fluttering open. The young trainer exclaimed his delight, thanking Kai and Hope repetitively as he gave the Whooper the potion. When things seemed to be looking up for the young pokémon, Kai and Hope made their farewells, leaving the young lad in the company of his now completely healed Whooper, as they trudged along the path to Jubilife.

Looking back on the way the young boy had looked at him, a mixture of admiration and hero-worship, Kai couldn't help but feel good. His abilities had allowed him to help that young boy, a feeling that warmed him. Maybe there was more to being a Shifter than just being able to change into a pokémon. Helping that kid had given him a completely new perspective on things, on his abilities. For now though, it was enough to walk the winding forest path with the wind in his hair and Hope by his side. For now, it was enough to be free.


	10. Chapter 10

**Shifters: Chapter 10; A Team Effort**

Jubilife city was still a fair way away as Kai and Hope set up camp that night on the side of the trail, the sun sinking below the horizon as the duo sat by the fire on the first night of their adventure. The tent had proven relatively easy to erect, which relieved Kai to no end and before long, a pot of stew was merrily bubbling over their camp fire.

That night at least was uneventful, spent watching the sun go down, not many words spoken between the two as they sat by their fire, chowing down on good food and the feeling of camaraderie that they felt toward each other. That night Kai slept as a Ninetales, curled up next to Hope as the pair slept through the first night of their great adventure together.

The next morning was an early one for Kai and Hope. Packing up their camp the moment it was light enough to see outside, they set out, keen to arrive in Jubilife. They had barely been walking for ten minutes though, when they were brought to an abrupt stop when a teenage boy came bursting out of a small clearing to the right of the path, still pulling on a shirt and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, pulling a pokéball out as he approached them. Kai looked over at Hope "I think he's trying to challenge us"

The boy grinned as he faced down Kai "Too right I am!" he said "I challenge you to a double battle!" This surprised Kai, what to do now? With a grin he made his decision- if the kid wanted a double battle he would get it. "Alright then" Kai said, already Shifting, his tails erupting out from behind him as he grinned at the expression on the other teens face. He finished the Shift and took up a battle stance as he called out to his opponent "Bring it on!"

The other trainer finally snapped out of his reverie and gave a small grin in response "This should be interesting" he said as he held up two pokéballs and brought out his team "Mightyena!, Magnectric! Come on out!"

Two flashes of red light engulfed the clearing and the two pokémon appeared, baying their challenge at Kai and Hope before launching straight at them with fearsome growls. Surprised at the sudden onslaught- the trainer hadn't spoken a word- Kai and Hope gave way to the attack, falling back and letting loose their own attacks. Hope's ember attack joined with Kai's own flamethrower forming a huge whirlwind of fire that engulfed the two dogs. Wasting no time, the duo sprang forward with dual quick attacks that easily knocked the two dogs down. The Mightyena went down hard, but the Magnectric wasn't felled so easily.

A huge bolt of lightning streaked from its body shot out, striking the ground between Kai and Hope, blowing the pair to opposite sides of the clearing. Fortunately both were mostly unharmed and sprang up again, Kai thinking fast, what could he do? The electric canine was strong, and wasn't easily brought down. It was also unpredictable, he reflected- the trainer was calling out orders but it simply ignored them and sat in the middle of the field, eyes on Kai and a growl splitting its muzzle.

Kais thoughts were interrupted though, by a bright flash of light at the opposite end of the field. With a shock, he realized that it was coming from Hope, who had risen after being tossed away by the thunderbolt, a snarl on her face and was now _glowing _a bright red, flames erupting from her fur as she growled her own challenge to the Magnectric, which turned around in shock.

With a great bound, Hope started forward, flames trailing from her as she ran incredibly quickly towards the electric pokémon. In seconds she reached the canine and barrelled forward, an explosion of flames bursting from her as she struck with unbelievable force, sending the Magnectric flying past Kai's head on the opposite side of the field and into a tree, where it fell limp and unconscious.

Hope staggered, the Flare Blitz had taken a lot out of her, and slumped, trying to stay upright as Kai hurried over to her to check on her injuries. They were not severe, so Kai, Shifting back to human form, walked over to his pack and retrieved a potion, which she drank down, restoring much of her energy and healing some of the minor scratches and bruising she had endured. Once he was sure she would be fine, Kai turned to the young man, who was tending to his own pokémon.

"How long have you had these pokémon?" Kai asked as he joined the other trainer, who returned his pokémon and faced Kai with a sigh. "They're my father's" the teenager replied "He gave them to me for my own adventure but..." his voice trailed off "They don't trust me yet".

Kai gave a small snort of amusement at the young man's predicament "Just keep working with them" he said eventually "train with them and earn their respect for you as a trainer. Take on the gyms, win their trust for you, because otherwise they won't bother with you, and a team not built on trust and respect will never go far" he smiled as he added; "and your shirt is on backwards by the way".

After bidding their hapless opponent farewell, Kai and Hope set off again, fortunately not encountering any other trainers, they were bruised and battered enough already as they made their slow way up the trail towards Jubilife, the trail became more and more crowded as they neared the city.

The city itself was huge, and as Kai found himself surrounded by huge crowds of people, he felt slightly claustrophobic, so many people in one place made him quite uneasy. Nevertheless, the two made it to the pokémon centre without incident, and in time for lunch- the cafeteria served trainers for free. Kai booked a room upstairs and the rest of the day was spent lounging around and tending to bruises and minor scrapes. The next day they would need all the energy they could for the next leg of the journey- on to Orebourgh and the first Gym.


	11. Chapter 11

Shifters: Chapter 11; Where am I?

The pokémon centre was dead silent, the pokémon below in the infirmary were sleeping, and the trainers in their rooms upstairs had long since laid down their heads in sleep. So it was hardly a challenge for the team of men to simply walk through the front door and make their way leisurely upstairs, past the snoozing Nurse Joy keeping vigil at the front desk.

Pausing outside one of the upstairs rooms, the leader pulled a small, stubby multi-tool from his belt, working his magic as he quickly and quietly slipped the lock on the door. With deathly silence and skill, the men slipped into the room. Within minutes they had what they had come for, stealing out of the centre and off into the night with their prey.

Kai woke with a splitting headache. His entire body hurt like anything he had felt before, and it took him a while to make sense of his surroundings. It was very dark, except for a solitary ray of sunlight streaming from a narrow slot high on the stone wall behind him. He was in a small room; bars lining the walls, a small stack of straw the only furnishings and he was completely alone.

Trying to make sense of the situation, he thought back to the night before, in the pokémon centre, but his memory was fuzzy and he slipped in and out of consciousness for several hours before being snapped out of his reverie by movement.

A small gust of wind told him that somewhere, a door had been opened, and he struggled to sit up, constantly fighting his body's protests as he fought to remain upright. His vision was blurred, but he could make out the silhouette of a man before him, on the other side of the bars before he finally lost consciousness again and the world around him fell away.

"... too high a dosage... he wakes up we'll... fine addition to my..." drifting in and out of consciousness was beginning to lose the novelty for Kai, fragments of conversation were all his mind could process as he hung there, in limbo as he lay on the straw in his cell.

Eventually, his mind rejoined his body and he woke, sharp minded, but still with a splitting headache from the drugs they had evidently administered to him. A quick glance around the room told him that there was no way out, the bars were thick and solid steel, he could perhaps be able to melt them, but it would take time and energy, two things he couldn't afford.

The door opened on the other side of the room, and Kai quickly lay his head back down, catching a glimpse of a gargantuan human figure before he closed his eyes, feigning sleep. A burst of inspiration struck him, and he opened his eyes again, staring emptily, slowing his breathing down almost to a halt, hoping fervently that his plan would work.

The huge man walked into the cell and made his way closer to the pile of hay on which Kai lay. A low groan escaped the man's mouth as he looked down at Kai. "Shit, don't be dead, don't be dead, the boss will kill me if he's dead, shit" he muttered, leaning over to check for a pulse.

That was when Kai struck. It was his fastest Shift ever, in the space of a heartbeat he had transformed, leaping from the ground at the man, claws outstretched, his jaws instinctively going for the throat.

His muzzle closed around the man's neck and it was over. His jailor lay on the floor of the cell, blood streaming from the deep puncture wounds in his throat, a low wheeze the only sound as he became still... and died.

Kai stood where he was, frozen in equal parts horror and fascination. He had killed a man. It was a feeling that was unexplainable, and one which he would never, for the life of him be able to describe. The knowledge that as a direct result of his actions someone had died, that he had killed him, revolted him but also, scarily excited him, and he was forced to quickly clamp down on his emotions, replacing them with steely resolve. These people had taken him prisoner and Hope might still be in danger. He had done what was necessary, nothing more.

The jailor's keys were at his belt, so Kai Shifted back into human form, shuddering at the taste of blood on his human tastebuds and took the key ring from the man's body. A quick search of the man yielded a sandwich, which was quickly eaten- he was after all, very hungry, a pocket knife, a healing potion and...

With a sinking feeling, Kai gripped the handle of the small, black handgun, turning it over as he took a closer look at the weapon. Firearms had been banned in Sinnoh since the last regional conflict with Hoenn. So many had died in those years of violence that in modern society, the manufacture, sale, ownership or use of a firearm by anyone outside of the police force or army was punishable with life imprisonment without parole. Whoever had captured him was either enormously powerful or enormously stupid to purchase firearms.

For now though, having a gun gave Kai a small measure of satisfaction, it evened the playing field, and he would do anything to find Hope and keep her safe. Fortunately, his captor hadn't been the brightest star in the sky, and had written down on a scrap of paper exactly how to use the gun. Disengaging the safety, Kai started down the corridor, carrying the handgun tightly in both hands as he jogged past endless empty cells, checking each thoroughly before progressing to the next, he would find Hope no matter what.

It was after about fifty metres that Kai stopped at the door of one cell, the largest by far that he had seen so far. This cell was more brightly lit than the others, with torches lining the walls and a series of cages up against the back wall, each one occupied by... a pokémon.

Kai quickly unlocked the door into the cell, and rushed inside. There were a total of five cages, each holding a different pokémon, each unconscious. From the right to left Kai could make out the limp forms of an Umbreon, an Espeon, an Absol, a Pigeot, its wings clamped to its sides, and... Hope.

She lay in the centre of her cage, eyes closed, her limp body covered in cuts and bruises, but she was alive and Kai rushed to her cage tucking the gun into his belt and fumbling for a moment with the keys before finding the correct one and opening the door to her small cage. He stepped over to her and gathered her up in his arms, gently so as not to hurt her. After a moment she opened her eyes and gave a small sound, somewhere between a cry and a laugh, and said "I knew you'd come and get me".

Gently, Kai carried her out of the cage and, sitting down against the stone wall, gave her the potion he had taken from the dead guard. The potion acted instantly, cleaning and healing the scratches and bruising until she was almost back to normal. Kai turned to the pokémon in the other cages, some of whom were beginning to stir.

"Do you know why these other pokémon are locked up?" he asked Hope, who looked sadly over at the other cages, then back to Kai. She sighed before she said "They're like you." "Whoever it is that captured us captured them for the same reason."

"They're Shifters too".


	12. Chapter 12

Shifters: Chapter 12; Purifying Flames

Kai's brain was working overtime as he stood, shocked, in the centre of the cell. His body felt numb and dead, senses overloaded by the huge rush of emotion he felt at that moment. For the past two years, Kai had been alone, bitterly so, no-one around him, even his parents, understood what it was to go through what he had. Different to everyone he knew, he had walled himself off from his peers and lived a life of isolation. But now, he had finally discovered members of his own God-damned species and they were slaves, kept in metal cages against their will, simply because of whom and what they were. Hands clenched into fists, he approached the first cage, the one holding an Umbreon, which had finally awoken out of its drug-induced sleep.

The Umbreon gave a low snarl as he approached, and he stopped. She struggled to her feet and, visibly straining, stood upright and glared, her blood-red eyes glaring, her muzzle pulled back in a vicious snarl. "What now, human?" she spat out, shaking in the exertion needed to remain on her feet "You've had your fun, are you finally going to end this?"

Kai's concern for the young Shifter grew as he finally got a good look at her wounds. Deep furrows of gore along her sides had barely scabbed over, and he was almost certain they were infected. He had to act quickly. Raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture he began to Shift. The Umbreons gasped in surprise, finally sagging to the ground as her energy vanished. Reversing the Shift mid-way, Kai stood, once again fully human at the door. Taking the jailor's keys out of his pocket, he quickly unlocked the door, rushing inside with another potion.

Around a minute later, the Umbreon was once again conscious, her energy beginning to return. She looked up weakly at Kai, and then over to Hope standing behind him, her wounds almost fully healed who nodded in encouragement. She returned her attention to Kai. "Who... are you?" Kai thought about it for a moment before answering "A friend. My name is Kai, and I'm assuming you've met Hope?" "Briefly" replied the Umbreon, sitting up "You are her trainer? She spoke highly of you".

"That's me" Kai replied "Can you stand?" The Umbreon nodded, and once again brought herself to her feet, swaying a little before standing strong. "My name is Ebony" she said, walking out of the cell, almost healed by the potion. "My brother Ray" she gestured to the next cage where the Espeon lay "and I were the first to be captured. Apart from the two of us, there's Jet, the Pidgeot in the next cage and then there's Luna, the Absol at the far end". She looked up at him with her heart in her eyes "They are, each of them good people who don't deserve this, can you help us?"

When Kai nodded, she sighed in relief and walked out of the cage, padding over to wake her brother and the other two Shifters. Ray was the first to wake, groggy but ecstatic that he and his sister were being freed. After explaining everything to her brother, Ebony went over to the other two cages while Kai unlocked Ray's. Five minutes later, all four Shifters stood free outside the cages that had held them captive for so long. Introductions had been made, and the group was trying to decide what to do next.

Eventually the group decided that it was better if they travelled as pokémon, if only for the additional firepower it would allow if they came across enemies. Kai remained in human form though, the handgun he had taken from the body of the guard clutched tightly in one hand, all hesitation he had previously felt about using it was gone. These people had hurt Hope, had imprisoned unfairly his people, even though he had only just met them. They deserved whatever came to them.

The group moved silently down the seemingly endless corridors. More than once, Ray's psychic powers saved them when he detected people, allowing them a chance to hide as armed guards walked past, openly displaying their firearms- assault rifles and handguns that gleamed in the artificial light from the globes on the ceiling. There were many close calls, the guards were everywhere, and it wasn't long before things really went to shit.

The alarm blared from speakers mounted over every door it the facility, a long screech that set Kai's teeth on edge. Abandoning caution, the group hurtled down the next corridor, almost directly into the path of a group of armed guards. Reacting quickly, Kai opened fire with the stolen gun, red splotches of blood erupting from the chests of three out of the four guards, the last one dealt with as Ebony's Shadow Ball flung him into the wall, dropping to the floor with a sickening crunch.

Yelling could be heard all around as the guards reacted to the gunfire, footsteps approaching as teams of professional killers ran toward them through the maze of corridors. Kai seized a second handgun from one of the dead guards and sprinted down the corridor with the rest of the group following close behind. Bullets whizzed through the air beside him, and so he turned and returned fire, covering his companions as they ran through the next door into a huge reception room. Kai followed, letting off one last shot, killing another guard before closing and bolting the door behind them.

The reception area was massive, but completely unpopulated, huge doors marked with a helpful exit sign marked the way out. The group had hardly made their first steps though before a platoon of men wearing camouflage outfits and leather armour entered, led by a larger man who was accompanied by... "No way" Kai muttered under his breath. Vernon leered at him as he went to stand behind a well armoured guard, safe from any attack before he started talking "I bet you thought you were hell smart before" he said, his voice every bit as snivelly as Kai remembered it to be. "I bet you thought you were tough, well who's tough now?"

Kai laughed, which caught the teen by surprise "I like the new duds Vern" he said nonchalantly "The last lot you were wearing were a little... shitty" Several of the guards chuckled; evidently Vernon wasn't very popular among the ranks. The older, larger man stepped forward "Sometimes I don't understand how I could father a son with such a cowardly streak" he sighed, "Ah well, he got us to you, and I suppose that's all that matters. I don't suppose you'd be willing to go back to your cells quietly?" he said hopefully, looking Kai in the eye as he added; "We can do it the hard way if you'd prefer".

Now Kai stood a little straighter, here was the man in charge, not a snivelling whelp like Victor, but someone to be feared. Kai readied himself for the battle; there was no way they were going back to their cages without a fight. Before they did fight though, there was one question to be asked. "Why?" Kai asked calmly as he steadied himself, gripping the guns in each hand tightly as he stared at the man with hate and disgust.

"Perfectly simple" was the reply "My name is Brian Mills and I am, you see, a collector of sorts. Unlike many hobbyists out there who make do with collecting rocks or pokémon, I crave more. For most of my life I collected people, all different sorts from all different regions." His voice rose fanatically as he spoke, eyes widening and his nostrils dilating "Eventually though I became bored. Humans were no longer enough, the ultimate prey dissatisfying. So I began my search for... you, and your kind. I emptied my cells, the hundreds of people I collected for so many years were... taken care of, and I began a new collection... of Shifters".

By now, Kai was ready to explode with the hatred that coursed through his veins. His anger paralysed his body, his vision glazed over and all he was aware of was the thumping of his heartbeat and the knowledge, the terrible knowledge of what this man was doing, what he had done already. A collector? The man was a psychopath who caged innocent people and then got rid of them at a whim. The previous prisoners had been "taken care of", wasn't that what he had said? How many people had died at the hands of this maniac?

Hope was the first to notice that something was wrong with Kai. He stood there, in front of them, pistols held loosely in his hands, head down. He was shaking, but not in fear. She started towards him, but as she did so something caught her eye and she stopped. Small ribbons of smoke were rising from Kai's body, curling lazily in the air and Hope took several steps back at the sight. Shifters were unable to use the abilities of their pokémon form as humans, so why was Kai smoking? She was also becoming aware of a heat, pulsating from his body, it was becoming uncomfortable, even for her as a fire type, and had already forced the other Shifters back several steps.

Brian Mills was also aware that something was wrong. He was standing a fair distance from Kai, but had also noticed the sudden raw heat that permeated the room. It was confusing, all information on Shifters to date indicated that they were unable to use their pokémon abilities in human form, but here clearly something was happening. Brian took several steps back towards the open doorway, pushing his son back with him as his guards rushed forwards, staggering in the heat to cover him.

Brian and Vernon had reached the door and, shoving his son through, Brian glanced back at Kai standing in the centre of the room. The soldiers had their weapons up and aiming at him, but had not fired yet, while the other Shifters and the Vulpix had taken shelter behind a marble staircase in the far corner, which sheltered them from most of the heat.

Kai's head snapped up, the temperature in the room escalated, and Brian felt true fear as he looked into the face of the young man. Kai snarled, flames flickering at his lips and a cascade of flames erupted from him. Brian hurled himself out of the door, but took the brunt of the flames as he did so. The guards, who had been standing directly in front of Kai were vaporised almost instantly, a single bullet fired, which melted in mid-air.

The eruption finally ended, and Kai stood, swaying on his feet, ashes billowing around him before the ground rushed up to meet him and he sank into darkness.


End file.
